Means for facilitating transposition of musical chords



July 28, 1959 l w, v, PETERS 2,896,493

MEANS FOR FCIL.ITATING` TRANSPOSITION OF MUSICAL CHORUS Filed ay 1l, 1956 ,-6 A BCGFAD f l 22g] '77W 10%' 1 ,P ,f 1.9 A E B F D G C j 26 INVENTOR. IC G D A F 5 E Wazfef V Pete/.5

i `-V 0J BY United States Patent ce Patented July 28, 1959 FOR4 FACILIIATING TRANSPOSITION OF MUSICAL CHORDS Walter V. Peters, Cannondale, Conn.

Application May 11, 1956, Serial No. 584,203

4 Claims. (Cl. 84-473) The: present invention relates to means for facilitating the transposition of music from the key in which it is written to a different key and more particularly to a device whereby the corresponding dominant cords and basic cords in the different or transposed key may be readily read.`

It quite frequently occurs in the playing of music on instruments lending themselves to the formation of musical chords that it is necessary to transpose the music from the selected key or key in which it is written to a different key or transposed key. For some musicians it is dicult to remember the basic chords in the transposed key corresponding to the cords in the written key.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means whereby the selected or written key can be kreadily transposed to a different key or transposed key and provide means for quickly reading the corresponding chords.

This is accomplished by providing key strips having divisions thereon which are provided with indicia representing the key, the dominant of the chord for the key, and a plurality of chord designations basic to the key, and supporting said key strips in juxtaposition with the divisions in alignment so that the corresponding dominant of the chord and each of the basic chord designations of the transposed key strip are adjacent the dominant of the chord and corresponding basic chord designations in the selected key so that the proper transposed chord can be readily determined and read.

lf desired, the two key strips can be supported by a container in juxtaposition and the container can be provided with a storage means whereby a plurality of similar strips relating to different keys can be stored so that by selecting the proper selected key and transposed key strips a great variety of transpositions can lbe achieved.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a partial plan view of the supporting device with the cover open.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2 2 of Fig. 1 of the device.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken along lines 3 3 of Fig. l with the lid in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a key strip.

Fig. 5 shows a view of another pair of key strips in supporting position.

Figs. 6 to 8 show various other key strips on a reduced scale.

In accordance with the present invention a plurality of key strips 10 are provided, one for each of the usual keys in which music is written. While the key strips can be provided on continuous tapes or the like supports which can be moved into juxtaposed aligned relation, they are herein illustrated as individual strips as shown in Fig. 4. Each key strip has a broad face 11 divided into a plurality of spaces or divisions. The first space 12 has indicia representing the key for said strip. The second space 13' is provided with indicia representing the dominant of the chord for the key of the strip and spaces 14 to 18 each have indicia representing a chord for the key. The strip can be made ofv any suitable material and size as may be conveniently handled and placed in juxtaposition so as to be quickly read.

As shown in Fig. l, the present invention provides means fory supporting two of said strips in juxtaposition with the strips in side-by-side relation and the spaces in alignment.

While the strips can -be supported in any manner, in the herein illustrated form of the invention, a supporting means 19 is provided with open face channels 20, 21 in side-by-si'de relation, Preferably, the supporting means is incorporated in a container Z2 and the channels are open at one end at 20a, 21a so that the strips can be readily slipped in from the end. A closure 23 is provided to close the container. If desired, the closure is hingedly mounted by hinges 23a so as to be moved from open position of Figs. 1 and 2 to closed position of Preferably, according to the present invention, the container is provided twith means for storing a plurality of key strips. In accordance with the present invention, it is preferred to provide a recessed storage means 24 below the level of the supporting means, which storage means is capable of storing a plurality of the more commonly used key strips 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 10g, 10h, 10i in edgewise relation as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The storage means is such that the cover when in position will overlie the strips and hold them in the storage space. Each of the key strips has on its exposed edge indicia 25 indicating the key strip so that it can be readily selected from the storage means and quickly inserted in position so that delay in transposition is avoided. ln order to facilitate the removal of the key strips from the storage means, each end is provided with a notch or finger-engaging means 26 whereby they can be readily gripped and lifted from the storage means.

In the` example shown in Fig. l, the key of A flat is the selected or written key of the music and the correspending strip 10 is slipped, face up, into the upper supporting channel 20. It is desired to transpose the music to the key of D flat. The key strip 10a. for D ilat is removed from the storage means and is inserted face up in the lower channel 21 with the corresponding divisions on both strips in alignment. The rst spaces show the key for the strip, space 12a having the selected key of A ilat and space 12b havingthe transposed key D at. The next space 13a indicates that the dominant of the chord for the selected key is E flat and the space 13b on the strip below shows that the domonant of the chord for the transposed key is A ilat. Similarly, one reading a B flat chord in the music and shown in space 14a could readily determine that in transposition this should be played as an E flat chord shown in space 1412, and one reading yan F chord shown in space 15a would immediately see that it should be played as a B flat chord shown in space 15b and on down through the chords to the C cord shown in 18a which wouid be transposed to an F chord as 'shown in 13b.

Fig. 5 shows the strips 101, 10g in position for transposing from the written or selected key of A to the transposed key of C and Figs. 6 to 8 show the strips 10e, 10h and 10i for the keys of G, D and E flat respectively. By properly selecting and relating the several strips, a great variety of combinations can be provided which will enable one playing the instrument of readily sight read the transposed chord and greatly facilitates the playing of music in the transposed chord.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim: n

1. A transposing devicecomprising a support, guide means on said support defining at least two elongated channels having one end thereof open, a removable strip in each channel, said strips in relation to one another having uniformly spaced divisions therealong, providing indicia bearing spaces therebetween, the indicia of one strip defining chord designations of a particular key, the indicia of the other strip being corresponding chord designations of another key, whereby said corresponding chord designations may be readily noted for quick transposition.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein a container is provided for said support with the sides of the container terminating in the plane of the supporting surface of said support whereby said strips can be inserted through said open ends of the channels without obstruction by the sides of the container.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein a container is provided for said support with the sides of the container terminating in the plane of the supporting surface of said support and wherein storage means is provided below the level of said support surface for storing a plurality of strips in edgewise relation with the edges of the strips extending above the sides of the container.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein the edges of the strips are providedwith identifying indicia and the ends of the strips have linger-engaging. means whereby said strips can be readily selected and removed from the storage means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 345,553 Starr July 13, 1886 635,182 Perry Oct. 17, 1899 657,953 McLaren Sept. 18, 1900 2,494,469 Booth Jan. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,695 Great Britain May 24, 1895 489,087 France Aug. 24, 1918 373,598 Germany Apr. 13, 1923 

